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Black Manta/Super Friends
| aliases = | series = Challenge of the Super Friends | image = | gender = Male | notability = Antagonist | occupation = Supervillain | base of operations = Atlantic Ocean Hall of Doom | known relatives = | status = Alive | born = | died = | 1st appearance = "Water Beast" All-New Super Friends; As Manta. "Wanted: The Super Friends" Challenge of the Super Friends; 1st appearance as Black Manta; Classic look. | final appearance = | actor = Ted Knight Ted Cassidy }} Black Manta is a costumed super-villain and a recurring antagonist featured on the 1978 cartoon series Challenge of the Super Friends. He is based on a character featured in comic books published by DC Comics where he is a frequent foe of Aquaman. He was voiced by actor Ted Cassidy on the series. Biography Originally calling himself just Manta, this mysterious individual adorned himself in a grey and green costume and menaced the Super Friends, paying special attention to his old foe, Aquaman. Black Manta created a water beast that captured various ships. Setting a trap to lure the Super Friends out to sea, Manta apprehended Aquaman and duplicated his telepathic powers so that the Water Beast could command sea creatures. The other Super Friends worked together to save Aquaman, and dismantled the Water Beast. All-New Super Friends Hour: Water Beast Manta got a new costume and helmet, and changed his name to Black Manta where he became a member of the Legion of Doom. At the team's first meeting, he sat at the end of the table next to Gorilla Grodd. The group's very first mission involved using Lex Luthor's dream machine to take control of the Super Friends while they were sleeping and have them commit various crimes across the globe. Afterward, they were forced to turn themselves in to the police. Black Manta was the one who proffered forth the idea of taking command of the now-empty Hall of Justice and dubbing it, the Hall of Injustice. The Super Friends eventually escaped their false imprisonment and returned to the Hall to combat the Legion of Doom. Black Manta was inexplicably absent during this encounter, but he regrouped with the rest of the Legion as they escaped back to the Hall of Doom. Challenge of the Super Friends: Wanted: The Super Friends Black Manta and Bizarro took part in the second phase of an elaborate plan to steal liquid light from the Acme Chemical Research facility in the foothills of Metropolis. While other members of the Legion of Doom took care of the Super Friends who were present, Manta and Bizarro overturned a vat of liquid light, letting it pour down the mountainside. Later at the facility, Black Manta found a laser atom smasher and turned it against the Flash. The Flash spun-about in a circle at super-speed using friction to repel the blast back onto Black Manta, incapacitating him. Challenge of the Super Friends: Trial of the Superfriends Notes & Trivia * * The comic book version of Black Manta first appeared in Aquaman, Volume 1 #35 in September, 1967. He made six appearances in that series and then returned to plague Aquaman in ten issues of the Aquaman feature in Adventure Comics. He has made numerous appearances since then. * Prior to Challenge of the Super Friends, Black Manta appeared on an episode of the All-New Super Friends where he was voiced by Ted Knight. Referred to only as Manta in the series, he wore a different costume and appeared in "The Water Beast". * Black Manta has never been seen without his helmet. In the comics, it is revealed that he is a black man, though his true name is never revealed. * In "Trial of the Superfriends", Black Manta fires a laser atom-smasher at the Flash. The Flash spins around at super-speed using friction to repel the blast back towards Black Manta. Not sure if the science here works, but okay. However, the laser beam should have shot through Black Manta's chest, instantly killing him. You're going to tell me that the guy who can't escape the grip of an octopus can somehow deflect laser blasts? As Colonel Potter from M*A*S*H* used to say, "Horse feathers!" * Black Manta would eventually make his first live-action appearance on the CW Network television series Smallville. He appeared in a brief scene with no dialogue in the twentieth episode of season ten, "Prophecy". This is the only appearance of the character. Appearances # All-New Super Friends Hour: Water Beast # Challenge of the Super Friends: Wanted: The Super Friends # Challenge of the Super Friends: Invasion of the Fearians # Challenge of the Super Friends: Trial of the Superfriends See also External links * * Black Manta at Wikipedia * * Black Manta at the Aquaman Wiki * Black Manta at the Super Friends Wiki References Category:Black Manta